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This short story tells the tale of a young woman Miss Helen Stoner who fears for her life after hearing suspicious noises in her bedroom as these sounds also occurred before the death of her eldest sister, having a suspicion that it is her stepfather, Miss Stoner then goes to Sherlock Holmes for help. This short story is set in a crumbling, secluded manor house in the country a setting that fits in perfectly with the Gothic Genre. This mansion is described using negative adjectives as a “family ruin” (page 267), “a picture of ruin” with “the roof partly caved in” (page 276) this exhibits the house to be one of decay leaving the reader with a sense that it has the possibility of falling apart at any given moment. The elements of panic and suspense, emotions commonly used in the Gothic genre is shown using 1st person perspective of Miss Stoner with “I can stand the strain no longer, I shall go mad if it continues, I have no one I can turn to ….” (Page 266) this provides a direct link with the reader and increases the emotive intensity of the story. A gothic atmosphere is created in this story by the use of personification of the phrases “the wind was howling” and “the rain was beating and slashing against the windows” producing a noisy, dark and somewhat gloomy atmosphere and exaggerating the effect of the storm. Finally the application of the simile “frightened eyes like those of a hunted animal” (page 265) reveal to an extent the venerability and fear of Miss Stoner expressed through her eyes. Therefore The Adventure of the Speckled Band’s extensive exploration of the elements of fear and anxiety and the use of the crumbling manor as a setting for this short story connects with the Gothic characteristics of fear, anxiety and
